Chandigarh, March 9: The prime accused in the Rs 130-crore heroin haul that has placed star boxer Vijender Singh under a cloud, attempted suicide in a lock-up last night, Punjab police said.
Officers said they had not yet decided whether to question Vijender but hinted at the possible involvement of a disgraced Arjuna awardee wrestler and sportspersons training at the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala.
Canada-based NRI Anoop Singh Kahlon “tried to slit his wrist using a wire from a bucket” at Fatehgarh Saheb, about 50km from here, senior superintendent of police Hardial Singh Mann said.
He said Kahlon was immediately taken to hospital and was now out of danger, and would be booked for attempted suicide too.
Kahlon was arrested earlier this week and a search of his home at Chandigarh’s Zirakpur suburb led to the seizure of 26kg of heroin and other drugs, the police have said. A Ford Endeavour belonging to Vijender’s wife Archana was found near the house but contained no drugs.
Asked if Vijender, an Olympic bronze-winner and deputy superintendent with Haryana police, would be questioned, Mann said: “As of now there is no direct link involving him to the drug haul. We haven’t taken any final decision on summoning him.”
Police sources said Kahlon had named Vijender and his sparring partner-cum-NIS roommate Ram Singh as his “clients”.
Ram has allegedly confessed to having received heroin at least six times from Kahlon’s gang and consumed it with Vijender. “We are verifying these. I cannot comment further at this stage,” Mann said.
A district police officer who wouldn’t be quoted told The Telegraph: “Both Kahlon and Ram Singh have levelled the charge of procuring and consuming heroin against Vijender. Questioning Vijender in front of them will bring out the truth. We are moving with the utmost caution in the matter.”
Vijender’s mobile was switched off today. Yesterday, he had spoken to journalists from Mumbai and denied any link with the narcotics haul.
Haryana director-general of police S.N. Vashisht said his force was in touch with its Punjab counterpart and would “decide our course of action once we get the complete details”.
Kahlon has named Jagdish Bhola, a former wrestler and one-time deputy superintendent with Punjab police, as the racket’s kingpin, officers said. Bhola has been absconding for a long time.